In this technological advanced era, most of the retailers deploy electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems in their stores. These EAS systems are used for inventory control and to prevent theft and similar unauthorized removal of articles from a controlled area in a store. Most of these EAS systems utilize a common feature of affixing an EAS tag to an article to be protected against theft from a controlled area. When a legitimate purchase of the article is made, the EAS tag can either be removed from the article, or converted from an activated state to a deactivated state. These EAS systems employ a detection arrangement, commonly placed at all exits of the store. If an activated EAS tag passes through the detection system, it is detected by the detection system and an alarm is triggered.
Most of these EAS tags are effective in a manner that a shoplifter finds it difficult to remove it within the store. One such common and commercially viable EAS tag uses a pin based attaching element. These EAS tags include a body and a pin that is inserted into the body. The body contains a securing lock that prevents removal of the pin (when inserted) unless opened. Opening is typically done with a strong magnet. Another such common and commercially viable EAS tag uses a lanyard wire with a pin as an attaching element. The lanyard has a first end and a second end. In general, the second end is connected to a printed circuit board of the EAS tag. The first end has a pin. The pin can be inserted to the EAS tag and be removed with the use of a magnet.
Both these type of EAS tags and other similar EAS tags are used to protect different types or sets of products and have their respective advantages and disadvantages when used for different sets of products. For example, as the length of the lanyard is fixed during the manufacturing of the EAS tags having the lanyard wire, a merchant has no means for adjusting the length of the lanyard. The merchant may not be able to use EAS tags having the limited lanyard wire length for all the products in the store. Similarly, owing to the limitations of EAS tags using the pin based attaching element, the merchant may not be able to use these EAS tags for all the products.
In light of the above discussion, there is a need for an EAS tag that can be used for both the pin based attaching element and the lanyard wire with a pin as an attaching element. Further, the EAS tag should improve the anti-theft mechanisms.
EAS tags provided with a battery for supplying power to the EAS tag are known in the prior art. Most of these EAS tags comprise a detachable housing part, which enables the replacement of the battery when needed. A problem associated with these EAS tags is that there is no means to prevent an unauthorized removal of the battery, especially in situations where the EAS tag is in use, i.e. attached to a product or an article to be protected.